Alieu
Sanneh, a Gambian based in North Carolina (USA), on Thursday donated medical
items to the Brikama Health Centre at a ceremony held at the health centre
grounds.
The
donated items included BM machine for diabetes, armchairs, wheelchairs,
injections, needles and other items.
In
receiving the items on behalf of the health centre, Alieu Sonko,
Officer-in-Charge of Brikama Health Centre, speaking on behalf of the health
centre and the Ministry of Health, said health is very expensive and as a
result the government alone cannot do everything. Rather individuals,
organizations and families have to come on board to complement the efforts of
the government, he added.
“In
so doing, it would go a long way to reducing the mortality, especially the
vulnerable group, who are mostly the child-bearing mothers and the children
under five years,” he said.
Mr
Sonko said that “mortality in The Gambia is still high so “we need collective
efforts from the communities, individuals in the health sector and the
government to put hands together to ensure mortality rates are reduced.
He
thanked Alieu Sanneh for his invaluable contribution to providing the materials
to the health centre.
In
his remarks, Alieu Sanneh, donor of the items, said he is a Gambian who hailed
from Brikama Wellingara and is now living in North Carolina (USA) working in
the healthcare domain in the US and had been helping health centres over the
years in The Gambia.
“So
this time I decided to collect some medical items to donate them to my
country,” he said. “I have been talking to a lot of people in the US who also
contributed some of the items. I did this just to contribute to the community’s
development.”
Cecilia
Mendy, head of the Maternity Unit at Brikama Health Centre, said the items are
very useful to the facility, as they would go a long way in helping to
improving the work at the health centre.
She
thanked the benefactor and donor for showing true patriotism and love for his
country by bringing back home items that are used to save lives.
Dr
Bubacarr Kambi, also working at the health centre, said: “I have seen a number
of medical items that could be very useful to the patients and the community at
large and I hope what Alieu has just done many other Gambians from their
various communities could emulate him and do similar thing to help their own
communities.”
He
added: “There are a lot of materials that are very useful to us and there are
so many things lacking in our facilities; so such gestures are always very
welcome.
“We
thank Alieu for his efforts to bring these items to this health centre.”
